Yesterday there were a couple interesting meetings in the People of Praise in addition to the weekly meeting. It was a great testimony to our desire to live even more in common with each other. Members of our branch talked about doing life more in common through living closer together and working together on small business ventures. It was a great time to talk to members of the People of Praise that I rarely get to see. I hope to hear even more about it in the future.

At the housing meeting, we learned a bit more about a committee formed to look into options here in the Cities. All of the 125 people who were at the meeting filled out a questionaire detailing what kinda of housing they were interested in and what they could afford. There were a vast array of people there, from seniors and empty nesters looking to downsize to post-college adults looking for a bit more trendy place or to raise a family. The thing that brought us all there was to live in closer proximity to their brothers and sisters in Christ. The committee is still in the really early, formative stages, but it will be interesting to connect with others who are looking for more deliberate, common life on a regular basis.

The other meeting was for people interested in starting or fostering Christ-centered businesses. About thirty people of all different ages and backgrounds attended and we talked about really practical ways to get a small business off the ground. We talked about good business ideas, how to finance a startup, and more. The committee is lead by a couple people who have started small businesses of their own. I think it's a great idea to help others out and if something interesting comes up, being a part of a startup could be really exciting. This group is also in the early stages, but there is already another meeting planned and the expectation that we're working to get new business ideas to fruition with the next six months to a year, depending on how well research and other ideas go and if anyone actually wants to take on the business.